GeForce GTS 450 vs GeForce GTX 1060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 450

2010Core: 783 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz
GTX family
·······

GeForce GTS 450 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTS 450 vs GeForce GTX 1060 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTS 450 vs GeForce GTX 1060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTS 450

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $120 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • Draws 106W instead of 180W, a 74W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 10.4 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1060

2016

Why buy it

  • 726.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 290% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 10.4 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • 500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 1 GB).
  • GeForce GTS 450 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1060 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 69.8% higher power demand at 180W vs 106W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 726.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 652.7% in PassMark G3D (10,064 vs 1,337), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $120 more expensive on MSRP at $249 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 290% (40.4 vs 10.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTS 450 vs GeForce GTX 1060 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 450

The GeForce GTS 450 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,337 points. Launch price was $129.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTS 450 scores 1,337 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 652.7%. The GeForce GTS 450 is built on Fermi while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 40 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 450) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 450) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
1,337
10,064+653%
Architecture
Fermi
Pascal
Process Node
40 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
192
2560+1233%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6013 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+1376%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
32
160+400%
L1 Cache
256 KB
960 KB+275%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTS 450 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 1060 gives you 500% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 450 and 192-bit on the GeForce GTX 1060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTS 450) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
192 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
192-bit+50%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTS 450) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
H.264
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 450 draws 106W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 51.7% difference. The GeForce GTS 450 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTS 450) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
TDP
106W-41%
180W
Recommended PSU
400W
400W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
6-pin
Length
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
12.6
55.9+344%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 450 came in at $129, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 450 was 48.2% cheaper ($120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.4 (GeForce GTS 450) vs 40.4 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 288.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1060 (2016 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$129-48%
$249
Performance per Dollar
10.4
40.4+288%
Codename
GF106
GP104
Release
September 13 2010
May 27 2016
Ranking
#791
#137

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.